12 BBQ chains ranked from worse to first.
- Thread starter timothy
- Start date
Famous Dave's is unfortunately spotty in quality from outlet to outlet. There are a couple here in the Twin Cities metro that we will just never go to again, and a couple that do have consistently good food. We've generally found Dickey's to be a little more consistent, but as always, there are flyers. I know of at least 1 Dickey's location that went out of business rather quickly for a rather wide variety of reasons. The rest of that list..... never been to any of them, but sounds like a decent travelling list.
Cutting to the chase, here are the joints from worst to best featured in the video:
I, too, have met Famous Dave at one of the regional contests leading up to the World Food Championships, and longtime forum members will recall that Dave was gracious enough to participate in a forum Q&A session in May 2013.
- Famous Dave's
- Dickey's Barbecue Pit
- Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
- City Barbecue
- L&L Hawaiian BBQ
- Corky's Ribs & BBQ
- Sugarfire Smoke House
- Full Moon Bar-B-Que
- Mission BBQ
- Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint
- Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que
- 4 Rivers Smokehouse
I, too, have met Famous Dave at one of the regional contests leading up to the World Food Championships, and longtime forum members will recall that Dave was gracious enough to participate in a forum Q&A session in May 2013.
Bob Bailey
TVWBB Guru
Not a fan of Famous Dave's in Reno. The catfish was good, as were the sauces. The ribs were actually pretty good, considering that they were boiled. You can have the salty chicken. If quality varies from location to location, that's a corporate problem and should have been addressed a long time ago.
Andy Kaminski
TVWBB All-Star
I have really enjoyed some nice “one off” type restaurants.
Sadly, I can’t say the same about chain restaurants.
Maybe it’s just me or my tastes.
Maybe because I’ve been served old food too often.
I dunno.
I know that I have lots to learn and I know I’m not the best cook, it is just that most of the time I feel that I can do better than what I’ve been served.
The wife and I hardly ever go to chain bbq restaurants due to being disappointed or let down.
One of my loves is a good seafood meal.
I don’t go to chain seafood places probably because I don’t need to.
My older brother always picks a chain seafood place (that I won’t name) on his birthday and I cringe.
Sadly, I can’t say the same about chain restaurants.
Maybe it’s just me or my tastes.
Maybe because I’ve been served old food too often.
I dunno.
I know that I have lots to learn and I know I’m not the best cook, it is just that most of the time I feel that I can do better than what I’ve been served.
The wife and I hardly ever go to chain bbq restaurants due to being disappointed or let down.
One of my loves is a good seafood meal.
I don’t go to chain seafood places probably because I don’t need to.
My older brother always picks a chain seafood place (that I won’t name) on his birthday and I cringe.
Dustin Dorsey
TVWBB Hall of Fame
I could eat a platter of those biscuits from that unnamed seafood place and die a happy man.
It's not just Famous Dave's. Any multi-outlet enterprise, whether franchised or company owned, has the same consistency issue, and, IMO, most have not solved it successfully. Mcdonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and the other major fast food chains do this or die. So do the major beer brewers, if you get a Bud Light in New York, it tastes [just as bad] as one you'd buy in San Francisco. One of the fastest ways to lose a Domino's franchise (so I've been told) is to make unauthorized changes to the menu.
A couple of decades ago, I started looking for the hole in the wall places, especially when we're travelling, and frequently not disappointed. Had some good Indian food at a restaurant in downtown Thunder Bay earlier this year, and we really surprised the staff that we both knew what we were ordering (apparently, Caucasian tourists usually don't.)
I think you have to differentiate between small chains and national chains. There are small local / regional places with a few locations ...2-10 or so that are great .... Much harder to do on the national level with hundreds.
But I can tell you this.... If they don't have a strong smoke smell outside it's a non-starter....
I would disagree with some of Chris's list above.... I have had low rated that were okay and higher rated that was awful.
Just goes to show you how much it depends. In fact we got brisket from one once delivered to us after my wife had surgery..... My wife's work sent food every night for a week... And one of those just happened to be food from a new barbecue place nearby... And I'm not exaggerating when I say it was so bad I would not give it to my dog. Threw it away instead. It was inedible.
But I can tell you this.... If they don't have a strong smoke smell outside it's a non-starter....
I would disagree with some of Chris's list above.... I have had low rated that were okay and higher rated that was awful.
Just goes to show you how much it depends. In fact we got brisket from one once delivered to us after my wife had surgery..... My wife's work sent food every night for a week... And one of those just happened to be food from a new barbecue place nearby... And I'm not exaggerating when I say it was so bad I would not give it to my dog. Threw it away instead. It was inedible.
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Smoky bonze wasn't listed, they might not even be in business anymore, but I had very good ribs from the local one. Actually got me started smoking myself so never went back but they were legit tasting....
We don't have a smoked meats culture up here, most of the places that opened weren't very good and didn't last. The ones still standing are either slowly dieing or are basically bars.
We don't have a smoked meats culture up here, most of the places that opened weren't very good and didn't last. The ones still standing are either slowly dieing or are basically bars.
Chad-Burnt to a T
TVWBB Super Fan
My experience as well. Cheaper and better at home. Don't live in a area of the world that produces good bbq let alone great that I'm aware of.
Several years ago, a barbecue restaurant tried to start here in town. Bad doesn't begin to describe it. The brisket was more roasted than smoked, and the sides were actually served in condiment cups.
I'm currently between jobs...... and it's been suggested to me that I may be able to make a go of it running a barbecue food truck, just based on what I've made and given out over the years. That is starting to sound like work.
Probably the most applicable statement in this thread is if you can't smell smoke outside, don't bother.
Dustin Dorsey
TVWBB Hall of Fame
As far as chains go, Rudy's is pretty darn good. We have a chain called Rib Crib in the area and it's ok.
There was a small historic town 20,000 people or so I used to drive through and stop at a small barbecue joint there all the time when driving through there for work around mealtime. It had really good barbecue.... But the owner sold it.... And two women apparently bought it.... That obviously had no idea of what they were doing. The next time I stop there was the last.... They also served me tough grisly brisket that they had no idea how to cook or even slice.... It's been about 10 years and it's still there and open but I haven't stopped in again.
That's a whole another topic but...... Great restaurants that went sharply downhill when they changed hands is common. Particularly when women are involved..ime... Because they just can't resist redecorating with what their idea of their place should look like...... Never mind they purchased someplace because it was already successful...... And customers were happy with the decor and atmosphere. In my experience often new owners immediately cheapen the food...or raise prices... Or change the menu....And initiate their own decline
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MikeCantell
TVWBB Pro
We have a local chain in the Knoxville Tn area called Buddys, most of the time they are very good but hurry the ribs off the smoker at the new location In Clinton sometimes, little to much tug. They use Southern Pride smokers and do a fine job, 40 years ago they closed 1 of their stores and I was working construction, I tore the 2 fire brick smokers out and wish I had kept the brick instead of giving them away. Have eat at Martins and Corkys and Famous Daves, never had a bad meal anywhere but all have been a little different, I think the sides is what sets a lot of the bigger joints apart.